Arepa Reid
by KESwriter
Summary: AU fantasy. Original name with new Summary. When Reid is called home to consult on a case he is forced to re-visit painful memories connected his mother and a secret community. Reid will need the team's help in apprehending a powerful mythical UnSub.
1. Chapter 1

I do not own Criminal Minds.

Rated Teen for some graphic violence.

I restored the original name. I realized that why my hits numbers have less to do with my title given my second-last story more with my summary. There are some small revisions in the chapter Author's Notes, but if you have already read the story up to Ch. 2 you can skip them.

This is honestly my most ambitious story to date with regards to trying to not giving people headaches! Myself included! This is my first AU magic story and will require a huge amount of explaining at the beginning and the end.

This is NOT a crossover! I am cherry-picking characters traits, stories, power etc. from the most popular books that involve magic, from books and movies such as Harry Potter and the Dresden Files with a focus on medieval stories and a ton of stuff I made up. The important thing to know is I am writing to make sure that no supplementary reading is necessary.

This is as Un-Sub story with higher stakes than usual. The Fisher King episodes are probably my favorite season finale/opening as it very Reid-centric. I thought I'd expand on it from a different point of view.

This is a story I REALLY REALLY want reviews for! It will help me understand who knows the most about the magic references. It will help me choose where to link characters such as Reid's family as I have a couple of options. I would also love some help with understanding the layout of Las Vegas such as the creepy sections to find shrunken heads and the ritzy touristy sections where the ministry of magic might be. And I'd love to see through comments how many people are buying into my magical crime story!

Things to think about: Reid is a technophobe. He can perform "magic." The CM writers have always thought of the round conference table as the round table of from medieval times, which happens to be what Diana's literary expertise is in. And finally: Aside from adult entertainment, gambling, and fancy hotels, what is Las Vegas known for?

Look for an end note.

Arepo Reid

Chapter 1:

"Reid I need to speak with you for a moment," Hotch called in a serious tone as Reid walked past his office.

Reid walked into his supervisor's office with trepidation. Garcia was already in the conference room preparing to explain their next case (He suspected it involved a series of recent bludgeoning-related murders in the Richmond, Virginia). Hotch had no reason to pull him off the case, so what was this about he wondered? Hotch silently motioned for him to sit down.

Hotch shifted some files around his expertly-organized desk. "Chief Strauss sent this to me to pass along to you. The FBI Las Vegas field office specifically requested you to consult on a case for them." He handed the file to Reid.

Reid flipped through the file to see three murder victims of different age and race with their throats slashed. There was also a photo of what looked to two crossed tally marks on right forearm of each of the victims. Reid maintained a neutral expression as he read the names of the agents listed in the file.

Hotch watched Reid intently. "Do you know why you were requested? It is my understanding that you have never worked independently with local enforcement there."

Reid refused to let anything show. He looked Hotch straight in the eye. "I have no idea Hotch. Like you said I have never worked with these agents. I don't know why they want my assistance."

This seemed to satisfy Hotch. He switched gears. "Usually a case with this particular MO would be enough to fly the entire team down to assist. But Garcia and I decided the cooling off periods between the murders in Richmond decreasing…"

"I understand Hotch," Reid said assuredly. "These murders have occurred over a period of seven months. I will most likely fly in, help with the geographic profile, provide some useful insight and return home. The odds of finding this Un-Sub so soon after his recent kill is very unlikely given his current pattern."

The corners of Hotch's mouth curved upwards slightly. It appeared that he had been nervous let him go into the field alone. But he was not the "child" Hotch looked at uneasily when they first met in this office with Gideon's glowing recommendation in his hands. Hotch had watched him kill Un-Subs, Un-Subs try to kill him, and him nearly destroy himself. Hotch had all the confidence in the world in him at that moment and Reid hated it.

Hotch stood up. "Please call if you need help," he said.

Reid stood up and nodded. "I will," he said.

Hotch picked his flight information. "You are due in Las Vegas by 6:00. I've arranged for you to fly…"

…

A half-hour later Reid arrived entered his apartment. He threw most of his mail in a basket and placed the padded green envelope covered in gold writing in the center of his kitchen table. He glanced briefly at it with a mixture of disgust and anxiety before starting to pack.

He went this bathroom and pulled a dusty bottle of talcum powder from his under sink. It is only active when used on another magical object, such as his messenger bag. He opened his bag and poured the powder in, producing blue smoke. He then grabbed his clothing go-bag and it easily fit inside. Reid then proceeded to methodically go through his apartment to pull out his other magical equipment.

One of the first things he learned in criminology was the effectiveness of the "hiding of in plain sight" method. A serial killer who kept the knives he used in a butcher's block where the detectives could see them during an initial canvass is much less likely to be noticed. He pulled his wizard robes out of the closet where he kept his Dr. Who trench coat along with his cane. Keeping garbage bags of dead body parts in the back seat your car won't raise the attention of the cop who pulls you over for speeding if you remain calm and friendly. He reached around the top of his closet where kept his board games and pulled his ten-sided dice. He grabbed a deck of cards out of desk along with the beads he was given on a case in Miami (he never told the team about the true nature of its powers). Reid pulls out an old battered book labeled "physics notes" from his shelf and threw it in his bag. He goes to the closet in his room and reaches for his toy magician kit where he keeps his wand in the plastic tube.

The other reason he went to such great lengths to scatter his magical instruments was he feared that his team would raid his apartment during his Dilaudid addiction as part of an intervention that never happened. He finally dialed combination for the floor safe in his closet which contained what you'd expect: Some money, a few important documents, his uncle's coin collection, and a jewelry box. He briefly opened his mother's small red velvet jewelry box before placing it in his bag. He was finally packed.

He then shakily approached the envelope. It had all the proper postage labels even though he was certain it appeared after the mail carrier locked the mail box. The return address was a Dungeons and Dragons-inspired game supplier. The letter congratulated him on being accepted to their exclusive role playing event. The ring included was part of "the initiation ceremony into our new and exciting world of an innovative creative adventure." At the bottom of the letter was series of strange symbols that the necessary decoder wheel would arrive in the next letter. But Reid already knew what the message said: It was location for the debriefing. The letter looked like harmless fun, but he knew better and carefully placed the letter in his state-of-the-art shredder along with the separate envelop that contained the ring.

The ring was solid gold with rune symbols engraved in black. It was an ancient artifact with origins predating the age of King Arthur. It was one of the most powerful objects in the world. He gulped as he placed on his middle finger, pressed down, and twisted it to draw blood.

He moaned as his glowing body writhed in mild pain. The magic of the magic distorted his senses. He felt a headache coming as the knowledge of magic stored in his corners of his brain was released. Finally, the strange sensations stopped and he let out heavy, uneven, breaths. The full power of his magical abilities he had voluntarily surrendered was restored to him. He needed these powers in order to assist a group of people he hated even though he loved the art itself.

He grabbed the purple scarf he knew his team thought was an odd accessory. He slowly said:

"_Sator Arepo Tenet Opera Rotas"_

The symbols glowed gold on his scarf. He then closed his eyes and thought of the message he read. He threw the right end of his scarf over his left shoulder. His whole body glowed again and he disappeared.

…

He found himself standing on top of the Eifel Tower at the Paris Las Vegas Hotel. The early evening sky was lit with pinks and purples bouncing off the clouds. The high winds whipped his hair, but not as harshly given the altitude.

A woman in her early forties dressed in a gray pants suit with a green blouse was standing in front of him. Her jet-black hair was secured in a bun at the base of her neck. She surveyed him through her square glasses with mild interest. Her silver brooch glinted faintly in the fading sun.

She walked over and offered her hand. "Dr. Reid," she said with an air of authority that reminded him of Hotch but with a little more edge, "my name is a Guardian Clara Rose. Welcome home."

…

Author's Note:

I'm making a special exception tonight by explaining the origins of the new character. She is based off Minerva McGonagall from the Harry Potter books. According to Pottermore, her mother's maiden name is Ross, but I altered it so as not to confuse people with Rossi. I chose her because a younger version of the HP character would make excellent no-nonsense foil to Reid. (And she was the subject of my first fan story that is kind of awful as I wrote in high school and I had no idea what I was doing.)

I know I threw everything but the kitchen sink in that bag because I honestly don't know exactly where I'm going with this story yet.

Everything will be explained somewhere in the context of the subsequent chapters. I am not going to undermine the most "cannon" information from the show. Have fun and PLEASE give me a chance. I never write a story that I think has been done here before.


	2. Chapter 2

Thanks for all the reviews and keep them coming! I think I will repeat this regularly: No supplementary reading is required! I am picking pieces from fantasy stories to fit my purposes. Clara Rose's personality is very similar to that of Murphy from the Dresden Files, but you don't need to read either to enjoy the story.

Ultimately I have decided to dial back references to popular fantasy and focus on medieval sorcery. My reason: It would involve too much work and too little gain! It would involve combing through fan wikis for specific characters. I feel I am better off using library books that I can keep open next to my laptop. And it connects quite nicely to a particularly memorable CM season finale.

A note to hard-core fantasy readers: I am using whatever magic terminology I can think of. I'll boil it down eventually. You will notice that I actively avoided the use of the word "muggle" because it sounded too silly for a crime story. I also "half-blood" because I think it sounds a little offensive in some ways compared to "pure-blood."

Reviews are welcome and encouraged as always.

Arepa 2

He shook her hand. "Thank you," he said politely as he couldn't say he was happy to be here and he hadn't thought of this city as home since he left for college for the first time. He quickly pushed that thought away. "Was all this necessary?" he said, gesturing to the skyline. "You could have just given me the location orders for the crime scene or headquarters."

"The Council thought differently," Rose said in a business-like tone. "They felt teleporting you here would give you some fresh perspective on what you left behind," she said and began to walk to the antennae. "The crime-"

Reid stood his ground. "Let me make something extremely clear right now," he said angrily. "I have no interest in joining the Guardian-"

Rose turned around. "I am in charge of apprehending a meta-UnSub," she said impatiently. "You have been summoned to assist with the investigation and that is all I care about. I have no interest in your relationship with the council."

Reid nodded. "Okay," he said quietly. They began to walk to the antennae. He was extremely grateful that Clara Rose was leading the investigation. She was a promoted transfer from Orlando for her work in developing an effective security system for the Harry Potter theme park. Her mother is mortal, and she is a fully-trained FBI agent in addition to being part of the Guardianship. The other "agent" is a battle-scarred wizard who considered him as a "disgrace."

Rose began to speak to herself. "While we're here maybe we should-"She suddenly turned around again. In one swift motion she pulled the pin in her circular brooch out and it transformed into a metal wand. She aimed it at him and a ball of blue fire burst out.

Reid pulled off his scarf using both hands thrust it in front of him. The spell hit the scarf and he concentrated to hold to the power. He pulled both ends and a stronger form of the spell bounced back at her. With a single flipping action the circle in her brooch became a shield. The spell bounced off it and the energy was dispersed. Reid grabbed one end of the scarf and whipped it to the ground. The ground shook so violently Rose fell to the ground. He quickly ran to her and pulled the cane out of his bag. He aimed it at the glowing end at her throat.

A smile crept across Rose's face. "I surrender," she said mildly.

"So do you feel comfortable with me being in the field?" he asked. He knew his powers would be tested eventually and understood Rose's reasons.

Rose dusted herself off as she got up. "Guardianship is the formal name for magical law-enforcement in this country. But I do not want to be considered the 'guardian angel' of a single agent," she said matter-of-factly. "Now I think…"

…

The last victim lived on the outskirts of Somerlin. The single-story house looked like it hadn't been well maintained.

"Developers have been trying to force her to sell for years," Rose commented as they ducked under the crime scene tape marked with invisible charms. "The neighbors we interviewed barely concealed their delight in hearing about the woman's death. It means they can finally create their perfect façade."

They managed to preserve the crime scene extremely well given the even though the death had happened more than twenty-four hours ago. Sixty-year old white-haired Katherine Ravenwood was laid the couch in sleeping position on her couch. He kneeled down looked at how the blood from the neck wound was absorbed by the cushion. The tally mark was visible just below her yellow print top.

Rose had been watching Reid examine the victim. "So does this look staged to you Dr. Reid?"

So far Reid had been enjoying doing what he did regularly. Now he had to stop and analyze the negative energy that is only produced by magic. He closed his eyes and could almost feel the panic the woman experienced during her last moments. He had to stop before he fell farther. He looked up at Rose. "Yes. Everything about this was staged," he said softly.

"Explain how," she said.

"Guardian Rose I make assessments based off physical evidence. Don't you have wizard agents to trace magic energies? And where are the rest of your agents?" He asked as he realized he hadn't seen anyone else in the house.

"They are more occupied with what is in her basement," she said. "It is interesting how none them thought the murder was staged."

"What about you Guardian Rose?" Reid asked.

"Please simply address me as Rose. Given the blood pattern on the couch, it looks she was asleep when the meta-UnSub slashed her throat and then carved his signature. But Katherine Ravenwood was such a light sleeper she could literally hear a bird landing on her roof."

"You knew the victim?" Reid asked with interest.

"An old family friend," she said quickly. "We're getting off topic. Explain how the murder was staged Dr. Reid."

He opened his bag and pulled out his glasses and beads. He put on the glasses and could instantly see the path of violence. He quickly looped the beads around his wrist to prevent the dark forces from the invading his subconscious. Though he could not see the person behind the attacks, he could see how Katherine put up a brave fight using her old wand and a set of crystals that seemed to have disintegrated on impact. She was ultimately incapacitated with a stab in back of the neck as she struggled to get into her kitchen.

Reid pulled off his glasses, gasping for air. He looked up at Rose. "You're looking for an omega level dark wizard with some demonic heritage."

Rose nodded with approval. "And the 'tally marks?'"

"I think you already know that it is a Celtic rune symbol. The common root word is 'killing.' I think the marking is a diversion to attract the attention of non-wizard law enforcement as it looks like a generic UnSub signature."

Rose looked genuinely impressed by his rapid analysis. "Very good Dr. Reid. The general consensus was that the Ogham was a distraction. The trace reside from the cut indicated that a simple non-ceremonial dagger was used. He sliced her throat with a knife of un-known mythical origin. What we could not determine was the nature of the meta-UnSub."

Now it was his turn to ask some questions. "So what is in the basement that has the full attention of your agents?"

Rose looked grim. "Let me show you," she said and walked over to the built-in bookcase. She pulled her wooden wand out of the breast pocket of her blazer. "Old traditions die hard," she murmured as she tapped a leather-bound copy of Macbeth. The shelf shifted to the left, revealing a series of stone steps spiraling the downwards.

"I'm afraid I haven't been completely honest with you Dr. Reid," Rose said as she led him down the dimly lit passageway. "You were summoned because you are very popular among the half inherited magic population."

This was news to Reid. "How do people know about me? I haven't used magic during my tenure as an FBI-"

"Do you really think the Oracle Monthly covers only practicing wizards?" Rose snapped. "Technically The Guardianship is part of the FBI. A separate edition is sent out to the magical population to keep the readers informed on whom to turn to if the Council government collapses."

Reid wanted to learn more about the subject. The Council is the governing body of the magic population in the United States and the capital is Las Vegas (It moved from New York when the Civil War started). It is only connected to the non-magical government through the FBI for one simple reason: People don't ask as many questions. The FBI is often perceived as a mysterious organization that is not easily penetrated. The idea was reinforced the Men in Black movies (he infuriated Morgan when they watched it together one time and explained the technical aspects). He had his reasons for hating the governing tactics of The Council, but he never thought about why others might not trust their government. He suddenly realized that Clara Rose might have revealed something she shouldn't have and decided not to press further.

The steps led farther down than possible based on his knowledge of the ground composition. Rose glanced back at Reid as they walked. "Katherine Ravenwood went to great lengths to hide her magic. If anyone asked, she was an artist first and an American spell work analyst second."

They finally reached the bottom of the steps. It was large a white-painted stone room with tables full of artifacts and standard magic equipment.

Before Reid could look further a group of five agents dressed in black suits and blue striped ties rushed to greet him.

A young sandy haired agent held out his hand. "It is such an honor to meet you Dr. Reid. The way you saved your agents from that blast-"

"Agents calm down!" Rose said as if she was addressing a group of school children. "Dr. Reid is here to consult on the case. Give us some space please," she said.

The agents quickly separated to allow Reid and Rose to examine the back wall.

Reid stared it with a mixture of horror and amazement. Every stone was covered runes written in the medieval style of straight lines that resembled variations of the M shape. All the clusters formed names.

Reid turned to Rose. "Are all those-"

"Names of the half-inherited magicians in the Las Vegas area. We decoded enough names determine to make that definite assumption. We have three major problems: We lack the sufficient power trace the unknowns. We also do not have enough man-power to protect the others."

"And the third?" Reid asked.

Rose nodded at the wall. "You see your name on the wall Dr. Reid. Recite your full name. The name your mother gave you that seals your powers."

Reid felt like he had been hit by a battering ram. He closed his eyes and clutched bracelet. This was too much. He had been tricked. Deceived into helping with a problem that required more than just his profiling skills. He felt tears escaping his eyes.

"Dr. Reid," Rose said softly. He opened his eyes and saw a look of genuine sadness on her face. She touched his shoulder gently "I-"

Reid brushed her hand off quickly. He couldn't handle her pity at the moment. He couldn't handle how much a non-local apparently knew so many of his family secrets. "It's okay," said croakily to her and returned to looking the wall.

He regained some of his composure and cleared his throat. He stared directly at this name said in a firm voice:

_Spencer Mordred Reid_

The various rune symbols glowed silver. He connected the symbols in a left-to-right pattern. He couldn't recite the message. The memories of words written in blood, the explosion, and his mother flashed through his mind. He closed his eyes tightly again.

"Dr. Reid," Rose said again softly. "A member of the Order of the Fisher King is the meta-UnSub."


	3. Chapter 3

I recently did some major re-tooling of the Title and story summary. I checked my story stats and these have been the lowest of any story I have published (lower even than the middle chapter my first CM story!) I didn't make any plot changes in the first two chapter. I just feel like I have finally found the direction I want to take this story. You don't need to have watched the Fisher King episodes, though reading an online episode guide might be helpful. (When I finish this chapter I will need to remind myself that I woke up cranky when I didn't update it last night.)

Be patient as always. Most of my regulars know that I love to set the stage in the first chapters. I did throw in some more intriguing hints than planned. And this took much longer than planned as usual. I just hope you get the gist.

Reviews are welcome and encouraged as always.

5/25 PLEASE REVIEW! I KNOW I'M GETTING MORE HITS BUT I'M EXTREMELY INSECURE ABOUT THIS ONE! I'LL HAVE A NEW ENTRY UP BY SAT WHEN MY COMP IS BACK! (CAPS TO SAVE TIME)

Chapter 3:

Reid took a few steadying breaths. He tried extremely to not let tears well up again. The Fisher King! How he had been stupid to think that the Order had taken the hint that-

"Dr. Reid," Rose said in a more authoritative voice. "My agents don't know much about the BAU incident," she said gesturing to the group agents trying to stay as concealed as possible behind the shelves of Katherine Ravewood's equipment. "I think it is best that they hear the whole story from you. Then I'll get you up to speed on what happened afterwards."

He really hated the thought of discussing what he had been trying to bury for the last six years. "Do we have to do it here?" he asked. He didn't like seeing his name along with the others. "Why not at the FBI office?

Rose shook her head. "There are security cameras surrounding the office and even FBI agents get suspicious of fellow agents there at all hours," she said. She gave him an assuring look. "Just give your case summary and we can go on from there," she said.

Reid nodded and Rose called her agents to the center of the room. He made sure to stand carefully in front of where his name was even though it was written in an older language not taught class. All eyes were on him as he spoke.

"In the May of 2006 Randal Garner arranged to have sent a series of items connected to the past of the members BAU team I work with. There were some body parts also sent or left with some members such as the head of one of his associates to my mentor and his body was found in bed next to one of the agents vacationing in Jamaica. He also sent a cipher for team to decode."

He gulped and looked away for a moment. He hated describing his missteps and his mother's involvement. "Eventually I figured out that the message was part of a version of the tale of the Fisher King encoded in Chaucer poem my mother read to me when I was young. At this point I speculated that my mother might be a possible target. I finally realized how Garner learned so much about my team: He spent time in the sanitarium where my mother lives and whom I send letters chronicling my work at the BAU."

He paused and glanced over at Rose. She was staring daggers at her agents. She wanted them to know as little as possible about his mother as he did. She threw him a harsh glance, urging him to continue.

"When my mother arrived at Quantico she revealed she had received a postcard revealing where Garner was living along with his kidnapped daughter. I personally confronted Garner and tried to prevent him further harming my team- he had already shot one of the agents when we 'broke the rules.' I tried to convince him that he needed to let go of the guilt he harbored for not being a good father to his daughter and putting her up for adoption after being traumatized by the fire. But he begged me to finish one of the poems associated with Fisher King and I refused because I wanted to break his delusion. Instead he chose to blow himself up using a series of explosives that destroyed the house. My team was barely able to escape with the girl," he said.

Rose nodded. "Now please explain what made you think that this might be magic-related."

He hated this part even more. "As I escorted my mother to the sanitarium, she revealed a number of interesting things about Randal Garner. She mentioned how she would see people visiting him at strange hours. How some of his ramblings sounded like Old English. He was sometimes found telling himself that he must follow orders so that he could reclaim his princess. I was tempted to believe that the majority of my mother's observations were actually delusions. But I also had some understanding of how my mother processed information. I decided to contact the Guardians while in Las Vegas."

"I presented my findings to The Guardians and was shocked to learn that they had been monitoring what was thought to be neo-order under the name of the Fisher King. With some further research and my assistance we came to the conclusion that the Order was a terrorist group and Randal Garner was their suicide bomber." He heard some gasps among the agents. "The order had sent a man who was already mentally unstable to destroy the BAU. Though one of my team members was ultimately harmed, I was the target-" He stumbled a bit. He hated how arrogant he was about to sound. "I was considered the agent with the strongest magical heritage of in the FBI. A message to those who forsake their magic to work in the non-magic community were enemies."

His voice was growing hoarse. "I requested a three-day leave from the BAU and further assisted in tracking the series of attacks connected the Fisher King's Order. They were able to locate and destroy their headquarters. Unfortunately several high-ranking members including their unidentified lord escaped. I hadn't heard anything about the Order's revival until today," he said.

It appeared that several agents wanted to ask him questions, but Rose was quick to move the presentation along. "Thank you Dr. Reid," she said respectfully. "Now let's combine that with what we know:"

"After the attacks, the Guardians immediately implemented measures to further monitor the actions of magic-related groups might pose a threat to the non-magic and half-inherited practitioners whose dominant vocation was not magical. After three years of exhaustive and expensive monitoring, the edict was modified and the guardians who weren't released was absorbed by my department."

Reid couldn't believe the level of mismanagement of the Council. "How many are left?" he asked.

It was hard to read Rose's expression. It was a mixture of embarrassment and disgust that quickly vanished. "Enough to address what had been the current threat level for the last two years. In addition we were receiving multiple complaints from the community over what they thought was an invasion of privacy."

He sensed that there was great deal that Rose wasn't telling him. Even the agents had strange looks on the faces when they looked at him.

Rose continued. "Over the last year, hints were being dropped in odd locations. Elements of medieval sorcery were being discovered at more crime scenes. Criminals mentioned heavily-veiled references to old Merlin quotes during interrogation. A great deal of it was dismissed as part of the medieval magic obsession caused by the Harry Potter event. But some things seemed to sophisticated to used by amateur dark wizards. So we had recently increased our tracking work and we have some idea of where the order might stage a message with their next murder. But we weren't prepared for something of this magnitude."

One brave agent spoke up. "So where do go from here Madame Guardian?"

"We leave to get some rest," she said conclusively. She saw the looks of surprise on their faces. "Many of you have not had more than three hours of sleep in the last twenty-four hours. Energy potions can be extremely harmful to comprehension when used excessively. I am ordering everyone to get some sleep and prepare to come at seven o'clock assist Dr. Reid…"

Reid suddenly felt his watch vibrating. He looked noticed it was flashing green. It was his team.

Rose suddenly noticed that he hadn't been paying attention. "What is that?" she asked.

"I set up a charm that enabled me know when my team was trying to reach me," he said. "Where is your magic clearance point?"

"Mount Charleston," she said. "You're going to have to run to get the surface. Ravenwood has set this up as a bunker so there in no way of teleporting in or out of here."

Reid didn't need to be told twice. He dashed across the room.

"Teleport to the Eifel! That is where the Council is housing you!" Rose shouted as he began to climb the stairs.

…

"Hey Reid what took you so long?" Morgan asked. "This is second time we tried to call you."

"Reception is poor here," Reid said as he tried to breathe normally.

And of course the team didn't buy it. He heard J.J.'s voice next. "Are you okay? Why does it sound like you've been running?"

He was glad he had managed to come up with an answer for this one as he climbed. "We got a lead, and I had ended up chasing the suspect when he exited the side door I was covering."

Rossi was "Kid you do seem to have the worst luck at times," he commented.

He looked around down and could see part's Ravenwood's neighborhood. "I won't argue that Rossi."

"Well that's a first," Emily said. "Our genius agent actually acknowledging that someone else is right."

He felt himself turning a little red, but it felt good to hear his team teasing him. Something dawned on him. "Hey what are you guys doing up this late?" he asked. "It must past midnight right now."

The calm and controlled voice of Hotch started. "We're monitoring the tip-line we set up. We think the UnSub is on the verge of a psychotic break and we believe he will be calling us with information that will lead us to him in during his next murder as he wants his fate taken out of his hands during his final thrill."

He suddenly felt hungry for information. Desperate to help _his_ _team._ "When did you activate the tip-line?"

"Six o'clock, why?" Hotch asked.

"Then he's not going to call tonight," he said feeling some of his old confidence returning.

"Why not?" Rossi asked with a slight note of agitation that was his signature tone when he was annoyed with him for making a sudden conclusion.

Reid almost wanted to cry. "I was reading up on the case before Garcia presented it. The newspapers reported that the victims who lived someone were always discovered midnight. I then also calculated the television news report gathering times based on the employment numbers. The bottom line is: The UnSub killed so that the crime would make the 11:00 news or become promotion piece for the morning show at the latest. So the UnSub has either killed someone whose body wouldn't be found until the next day. Or most likely, his psychosis has overloaded his ability to function but not his desire to kill. So essentially, the tip-line has induced a cooling-off period."

There was very long period of silence. He thought he heard Emily groan. "Reid, you just provided another profiling theory based off news announcements and an abbreviated profile description. You have also been working jet-lagged for the last three hours on another case. Do you ever stop thinking?" she said with an enormous note of exasperation.

"I have been asking myself that every single day since I started working with him Emily," Morgan said with mild amusement.

Reid began to laugh. He laughed so hard he felt himself choking up. Hotch came back on the line. "Reid, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. I'm fine you guys," he said as he tried to relax. "It has just felt so weird working with a different team. They look at me like I'm from another planet when I provide fully-formed theories after looking at the evidence for only five minutes."

He suddenly felt very tired. He had spoken about things he had locked away in his mind for years. His mind was forcefully opened to experience power that was suppressing his understanding of scientific principles.

Hotch seemed to have picked up something. "Reid, go get some rest. And based off your profiling theory, I'm inclined to order the rest of the team to do the same."

He had no desire to question his boss's orders. "I will Hotch. The Vegas Agents are signaling me to go head to my hotel right now."

He and his team exchanged good-byes and then hung up. He looked at the small portion of The Strip he could see and felt a feeling of rage boiling to the surface. He hated this place. He hated the council. He hated what they had done to him and his mother almost twenty years ago.

He took a few strides away from the cell tower and found a clearing. He balled up his hands and let them turn purple with rage. He let raised them above his head and thrust them down creating a set of long tall purple lines of fire. The heat of his power was intoxicating. To his annoyance the flames weren't going as far as wanted. He noticed a force field being held up.

Clara Rose was standing there with her hand raised in front of her. The power of her shield wore down the flames along with his energy. He fell to the ground, too tired to even react.

Rose walked over and knelt beside him. "Come on Dr. Reid. Let's get you to the tower before you burn down the mountain. And I believe you do have enough mostly justified rage to do so in less than an hour."

She touched his shoulder and felt her prepare for teleportation. "And I can't say wouldn't mind that much except for the fact that I would roped into covering up," she said lightly. "If only preferred a nice shade of red," she said as they vanished from the mountain.


	4. Chapter 4

Hello All! I know it has been a while and I promise will update more regularly. I had my computer sent in to be cleaned of malware and other nasty stuff. Now I have a new web browser that allows for better access to FF so I can make changes more efficiently.

Did anyone see MIB 3 this weekend? It felt like the characters spent half the time explaining the rules of time travel and alternate dimensions. I still loved the movie and the concept though. I mention this because if you are getting bored with my over-detailed descriptions of the rules of magic, TELL ME! I know the rules of magic are insane. Even though I'm making most of them up. I admit I throwing some crazy laws of food and magic mumbo-jumbo that I will cut if you want.

This will be the chapter of the big reveal as to what happened to Diana Reid. I wish I could think of a more clever way of doing so, but I guarantee there are still some unanswered questions. I admit I'm aging her up a bit compared to the actress who plays her. And suspension of disbelief will be required more than usual.

Reviews are welcomed and encouraged as always. But honestly I AM DESPERATE FOR REVEIWS! I am not this insecure usually but it I don't write magic stories and I know it is hard to buy in fantasy if you don't read this kind of thing.

Chapter 4:

Reid woke to the smell of baking bread. He slowly sat up and stared around. He was sleeping in large bedroom decorated in shades of tan and gold. He looked out the floor to ceil window that revealed a stunning view of the city in the early morning light. He glanced at the clock, it was five o'clock. And someone was in his suite. He quickly put on some pants and grabbed his cane and flipped it into a staff. He cautiously opened the door and followed the scent.

Guardian Clara Rose dressed in a red tartan apron was arranging trays of scones. She looked up when she saw Reid and smiled. "Good morning Dr. Reid. Glad to see you're still sleeping on East Coast Time."

Reid just stared at her. Too many thoughts were hitting him at once. "What are you doing here? Why are you baking for me? Did you sleep here?" he asked, noticing the gray Old Navy T-shirt she had under the apron.

Rose continued to place her scones on a cooling rack. "Dr. Reid the fire you produced in rage was of the eternal flame variety," she said briskly. "It took an enormous amount of energy to stop it and I was lucky to have the energy to even get us out of there after that. So I feel no regret in choosing to take a nap in your residence rather exert myself further to get home."

Things just weren't clicking yet for him. Things weren't making much sense so he was feeling irritable. "Okay first, just call me Reid since we spent the night the same apartment together. And second it was never my intention to set the entire area-"

"Of course it wasn't," she said as she began to place some balls of dough on a rack. "The fire wouldn't have caused any major damage and it wouldn't have gone any farther than you planned. But I need to stop you before you passed out and became useless to me today."

He was growing more and more agitated by this push-and-pull game she was playing with him.

Rose wouldn't give him the chance to speak. "Reid why don't you go and clean yourself up. I'll have a traditional English breakfast ready when you return."

He felt like he was being ordered around by his mother- not his mother, what the average mother sounds like. But the idea of hot water easing some of the tension on his back was too appealing to resist. He grabbed his clothes and found a bathroom half the size of his apartment. Reid wondered what was motivating the council's desire to treat him like a king: Guilt or manipulation?

…

He found Rose at the kitchen table next to another large window overlooking the city. She was now dressed in a black pants suit with a blue top. Her brooch and other pieces of silver jewelry featured prominently.

"Sit," she said cordially.

There was a set of bacon, potato pancakes and scones on a plate in front of him. This was too much food for him. Usually he just grabbed a bagel and tall cup of coffee on his way to work. "Rose," he said politely, "I don't think I can eat all of this."

She didn't seem surprised. "Then just try a scone. I made it myself and I rarely bake these days."

He did as told and it was positively delicious. He ate it quickly and was about to grab another one she caught his hand. "Drink this first," she said and passed him a cup of tea. Again he did as told and felt the dull thumping headache he had been experiencing since he put on the ring decrease significantly.

"Is this pepper-mint tea?" he asked, taking another sip.

She nodded. "One of the few magic-shock pain reducers," she said and then pulled out her wand. She tapped his plate and another scone appeared. "This is from my favorite bake shop in Henderson where I keep a charge account. Please eat it."

He stared at it with mild disgust. "Magic food doesn't well sit with me. The thought of a food essential teleported out of thin air entering my system-"

"Just try it," she said coaxingly. "Trust me."

With a grimace he took a bite and it went down well. It didn't taste as good, but it wasn't upsetting his stomach.

Rose nodded approvingly."The tea is also a palette cleanser. It eases the pain and makes it easier to consume conjured food and experience other magic altering senses. You will be eating mostly magic-created food while working today and I need to have you well-nourished to focus."

This was what he hated about her. Every act of kindness she showed him had an underlying purpose. He took another sip of the tea. "Is that why you're doing all of this for me? The baking, the tea, even your appearance. It seems like a lot of work and I still don't know what you need so badly from me. You treat me like one your agents, yet you go out of your way to make things easy for me. What is your angle?"

Rose tapped the blank space in front of her and plate of food in front of her. "First of all Reid, you and I both very well know that those 'agents' are not agents," she said and munched on a piece of bacon. "They are guardians with only basic criminology education because The Council refuses to give me the memory charm funding to get them to qualify for the Bureau training school. So technically Cesar Coyle and I are the only ones on the Federal Payroll. Having access to a fully-trained profiler is a true gift that will help me apprehend the meta-UnSub."

Reid winced at the mention of the aged cowboy-like guardian. "So where is he right now?"

Rose rolled her eyes and took a sip of tea. "It's hard to say where he is. My superior prefers to stay off the grid and lead his team of dark wizard hunters into the darkest crevices of the state. He only comes out when I have mishandled a major case to berate me in front of The Council," she said.

Reid suddenly looked around. This suite was usually reserved for visiting heads of state. He wondered what wards had been set up.

Rose seemed to read his thoughts. "Don't worry Reid. I have a friend in magical surveillance who showed me how to reconfigure the enchantments in this area."

He let out a sigh of relief. It meant he could end this prattle about government organization. He set his plate aside and dived into what he really wanted to learn from her. "Okay, Rose," he said firmly. "You've given me the Magic Law Enforcement 101 course. Now it is time to tell me what might be pertinent to the case. What do you know about my mother?"

Rose finished her meal and with a wave of her wand, the plates disappeared. "Diana Mordrid was one of the most powerful young wizards of her time. The Mordrid name had lost a great deal of it dark magic connotation over the past century and her family was considered one of the most noble lines of heritage to have 'crossed the pond' in the last hundred years. It was said that her parents chose the name Diana based on reading the stars and it was indeed an accurate to name to describe her particular magic inclinations. She was 'one with nature,' able to run with the wildest magical creatures on end for months," she said with great admiration.

It was odd hearing someone describe his with such a romantic tone. He felt entranced as she continued the story.

"She brought her knowledge of the magical wilderness to the academic realm where she earned tremendous accolades for her contributions to the art of natural divination. She embraced the spotlight and performed feats of magic that enthralled the wizard community. It is unfortunate that so much of it has been lost as a result of the subsequent events."

Her voice turned doleful. "Power in any form, be it as menial administrative or magical, can be exceptionally addictive and thus vulnerable the malevolent manipulation. The Dark Arts was like the wilderness to her, vast and mystical magic that seemed so ripe for exploration. It took little energy to convince her to join the dark side."

Even though this was the story of his mother's terrible downfall, he couldn't help but feel like he was listening to a Star Wars monologue. He wondered why someone couldn't have just told him about his mother like this.

"Little is known about what sort of transformations she went through to change her perception of the mystic arts so dramatically. But when she re-surfaced in the magic community, the dark energy she exuded was deadly."

"She and her legion of dark wizards stormed The Council Chambers and she personally assassinated the High Lord along with at least three others. Her legion killed a combined total of ten members."

This was one of the parts that he still knew little about. "Why wasn't she executed on the spot? And who exactly discovered that she was acting under dark influence?"

She didn't seem to mind the interruption. "Well firstly, her family was still very prominent in the community and it would have caused further scandal if she wasn't granted a fair trial. Now secondly, are you familiar with a mystic from DC Comics named Madame Xanadu?"

Reid thought for a moment, trying to recount a recent encyclopedia of comics he had read. "Isn't she supposedly a nimue? One of the enchantresses who used magic to influence events Medial Times such as presenting Excalibur to King Arthur? It seems like an odd incarnation of such a sorceress. She looks more like a gypsy than a nymph-like being."

Rose nodded in agreement. "Yet she came to the Tribunal presenting a level of supreme sorcery that could not be ignored. The records are extremely vague about how what happened in the chamber but the end result was that your mother was clear of intentional wrong-doing. That she was indeed acting under the influence of a distant member of her own bloodline who still fought the universal illegalization of the Dark Arts."

Reid drank deeply from his tea. It was becoming extremely heady. When he set his empty cup down Rose immediately refilled it. "Are you sure you want to continue Reid? You know most of this story. It is your family heritage after all."

He nodded his head. "That I didn't get to learn until much later. I have been out of this world for so that I don't know how much the legend of my mother is still well-known here. The Lord of the Order probably knows all of this but his followers may not and they are the easiest ones to retrieve information from."

"Very well," Rose said with a sigh. "The removal of the dark magic from your mother left her weak, borderline-catatonic when she slept. But the thing was that paranoia had grown rampant as the result of the attack. The Council was afraid, extremely afraid. Though your mother's ability to harness power had decreased dramatically, there was the underlying fear that she would regain the abilities to fight them again. So they decided to do what was one of the most cruel, legal acts of magical law enforcement at the time: They removed her ability to perform magic in a ritual that destroyed her memory and all records of existence in the wizard community."

It sickened him to hear the words out loud. "You know I still research the possible rituals used. My best guess comes from the removal of hieroglyphics in Egypt."

Rose shook her head. "Your guess is as good as mine. The council was run at the time like the Nixon Administration. Except The Council was much better at covering their tracks."

Reid took another sip of tea and he felt some fury return. "Now comes the depressing part," he said bitterly.

"Your mother was able to live a decent life as mortal," Rose said fairly. "Xanadu's magic ignited a passion for medieval literature that she could not connect to her lineage as her family fled the country in shame. But it was also there that she fell in love with your father."

Suddenly a thought hit him that he felt guilty for not thinking of sooner. "Is someone checking in my mom and my dad?"

"We have an agent under-cover in the Sanitarium. And your father finally decided that he deserved a vacation. He is currently in Hawaii being observed from a distance by a few retired guardians," she said.

It was a relief to hear it but now he wanted to hear the thing that ate at his mind every day. The parts that Tobias Hankel couldn't touch with mortal drugs, but he felt the memories burn inside him after he overcame his addiction.

"Please tell me why no one helped me?" he asked in an almost pleading voice.

Rose's eyes flashed with anger. "You know I don't have direct answers for that. I was a junior agent when I heard about what happened. The simple answer is this: No one knew you're mother was a wizard. Your mother's maiden name was modified to Moore and your grandparents were dead by the time you demonstrated magical ability. Believe it or not your father has a small trace of inherited magic from a great aunt and that is enough to satisfy the inquiry in the inherited magic source."

"But not enough to gain assistance from the community," he said angrily.

"Reid!" Rose almost shouted. "International statutes of secrecy are strict for a reason! The mortal parents of the child are responsible for his or her upbringing and only the mortal social services are allowed to interfere."

He closed his eyes briefly and rubbed them. "You know as many times as I tell myself this I still have hard time accepting that Schizophrenia is a genetic disease and not some sort of mystical construct."

"You're a scientist," Rose said in a calmer tone. "Magic is not part of the human anatomy. Everyone is equally susceptible to cancer, Alzheimer's, and other viral ailments. The body can be repaired with magic but it cannot cure diseases."

"I know," he said with sigh. "So the rest of the story goes that I was taught magic while attending college where it was concealed in special courses and clubs the same way it is in modern public schools. I kept it a secret from my mother for fear that she will think that I am crazy and I don't want to upset her further. And then on the emotionally-charged day that I have my own mother institutionalized, I go through her things when I come home and find Pandora's Box."

A look of almost grim admiration came across Rose's face. "Possibly one of the most advanced, meticulously-well crafted artifacts your mother ever modified. It was designed to open when you came of age and decided to sever a strong emotional bond."

He agreed. "Even before I was born she knew that motherhood would be in her future. The Council may have removed the records of her existence, but she would not let her blood live without knowing that she was something greater."

"Now I do recall the story of you storming The Council Chamber," Rose said. "A young wizard opening a box that re-writes the history of magic made front page news."

He almost smiled. "Looking back I don't believe I wasn't charged with something," he said.

"It would have made the current Council look like idiots," she said. "They had to separate themselves from that era as quickly as possible. I'm not sure if you're aware of this but several serving members literally went into retirement during your appearance so only the ones not associated with your family were listed when the press caught wind of it."

"And I kind of made their lives easier by surrendered my ability to use magic right there also."

"I believe there are still pictures of the ringing ceremony hung in anti-Council establishments," Rose said lightly. "The story is still the main source of knowledge about your family by the way."

"Yet they have been fighting to get me back ever since," Reid said with a laugh.

"Reid, the common belief is that you have inherited most of your mother's magical potential tempered with the sensibility of your mortal father," Rose said diplomatically.

"Are you saying I should join them Rose?" he asked accusingly. "That I'm wasting my potential by using my genius intellect as opposed to my magical capabilities as an agent in law enforcement?" He instantly realized how irrational he sounded

Rose didn't seem at all offended. "Not all Reid. Quite the opposite actually. I am an FBI agent and I do access to some of your case files. I'd kill to have you under my supervision, but you are clearly helping more people as part of the BAU."

Reid was jolted by her compliment. He had been feeling like a pawn in this world up until this point. But Rose was returning to business mode before he could respond.

"Well as much I was hoping to avoid this discussion. It does remind me of a few old leads. There are still rumors that Xanadu is operating in the city that might be worth looking into."

Reid followed up on her train of thought. "Though is no direct embodiment of Diana associated with a medieval magician, there is a story about the Greek version of goddess enchanting those who saw her bathe which is another version which is one of powers associated to the lady of the lake."

"And which leads back to one of the places where you would find fish," Rose said rubbing her temples.

Reid thought for a moment. "You know the meta-UnSub hast distinctly masculine characteristics. But there is the possibility of the involvement of a female wizard. The love of a fair damsel did feature in the BAU attack."

Rose gave him one of the looks he was used to getting from his team. "I assume the fact that your team gets used to how you figure out things in such a circuitous way," she said.

She checked her watch. "We need to get going. Let's hope the rest of the day is less emotional drama packed."

Reid nodded in agreement; both knowing how unlikely it would be.

Reid grabbed his messenger bag and Rose retrieved her wallet purse. They met in the middle of the room and teleported.


	5. Chapter 5

It only gets more interesting after this. I was just planning a battle scene, but the more I write the more I like the way the two characters have been playing off each other so much I decided to take it further.

And thank you for enjoying what I've been writing so far. And if you have studied medieval literature, thank you for not voicing frustration over how I have cut random pieces from highly-regarded stories to fit my purposes. I did take a course on the subject a few years ago and I really wish I knew where my copy of Sir Gawain and The Green Knight is right. It's not essential reading and I'll explain this observation in context later but I still feel the urge to wonder: "Is it a coincidence, or did someone on the writing team really do their homework while developing the character?"

6/6 Update: I am working on Chapter 6 and plan to have ready for viewing by Friday morning, possibly earlier.

Thanks to the lovely new image feature that I have yet to figure out completely: I will be adding starting with chapter 5 I will try to add a new image to the story heading that will serve as a "teaser" for the next chapter. I make no promises as the artwork will not always work and I have to work through copy-right restrictions.

Chapter 5:

The Las Vegas Division of the FBI was an enormous concrete structure located on Lake Meade Boulevard. The Guardian's Office was located in the basement. The layout and activity in the office resembled its mortal counter-part in terms of agents speaking with grieving family members at their desks with a box of tissues within reaching distance. Except of course for the files constantly flying through the air and many of the people were dressed in stereotypical wizard attire (there was a special secure entrance for "observant wizards,"). The agents themselves were all dressed in black suites with gold ties with flag pins. Rose explained that there were specific dress codes because it was easier to recognize her agents in the fray and there was an illusion charm involved.

"Welcome to your conference room Dr. Reid" Rose said as she opened the door with a flourish. Reid stared around in awe. The room was huge with a pale-brown undulating map of Las Vegas on the wall in front of him with additional floating boards. On the opposite walls there were file cabinets that opened and closed at random. There was also a pair of young red-headed agents who appeared to be twins sitting at desks near the front.

"Dr. Reid, these are Agent Greg and Fritz Weiss. They are our case information compilers. Do not worry about remembering which one is which," she said in a dull tone.

One of the agents walked over and clapped him on the back. "Pleasure to greet you mate," he said brightly with a mild Scottish accent. "You know we really don't get enough respect around here. We should at least have monogram names like in those muggle picture shows."

"I second that Fritz," the other agent said after giving Reid the same greeting. "And wouldn't it be nice to get Agent Yang to join our group? Then we could known as 'Team GFY.' a lovely acronym if there ever was one," he said and both of them chortled.

"They aren't our agents," Rose said irritably. "They are agents from the British ministry. They were caught hacking a security ward on one of our largest gambling enterprises-"

"It was only a test," one of them said sheepishly.

"While on vacation here," she said loudly.

"For fun," the other said.

Rose glared at them. Reid found himself fighting the urge to laugh.

"They were ordered to stay here for three months to assist in re-configuring the security ward. It took them half that time and now they are working in my office for the remainder of their suspension."

"There are worse things," a Weis said lightly. "There were rumors of us being sent to excavate Coyle's office, which would have meant certain death."

"We have work to do," Rose said impatiently and led them to the map. She pulled out her wand and waved it in front of the map. "This is essentially the magical equivalent of the mortal smart board, with a few more features. Call up any map data you need and it will appear," she said."For example: Magic-related crimes in Boulder in the last three months!"

A series of gold dots appeared. She tapped her wand twice on one of the dots. There was a clanging sound. (We're working on that," one of the twins whispered.) They turned around to see a cabinet drawer had opened and the case file was floating towards them. Rose caught it and beckoned one of the hovering black boards. She gently pushed the file on the board and the pages spread themselves our across the board.

Reid had forgotten how intriguing simple magic was. "Fascinating," he remarked as he gently picked up a photo and it stayed in the air when he let go.

One of the twins nodded in agreement. "Yes and from the way Guardian Rose maneuvers the information you'd think this system has been up and running for three years, not three weeks," he said with a wink.

Rose ignored the remark. "These agents will help you track down whatever information you need. In the cabinets there are also evidence boxes and both them are fully trained in the art of scrying."

Reid had been noticing how she chose her words. "What are you going to be doing?" he asked."I thought there were leads for us-"

"For my department to look into," she said in an authoritative tone. "I need you to focus on narrowing down the list of targets based on their residence, social habits, and-"

"Place of work," he finished impatiently. "I can create geographic models all day but it won't be of any help if I don't have a profile."

"The profile is in the case files," she said briskly. "Use what we learned yesterday to develop hot zones where we might find him. I'll be in touch." She began to walk to the door.

Reid followed her. "You don't want me in the field do you." he said accusingly.

Rose turned around and met his gaze. "Dr. Reid I have no doubt that you are an excellent field agent. You are also extremely proficient at organizing information based off patterns those two aren't trained to look for," she said, her eyes flickering to the agents who were looking very uncomfortable. "But there is also no doubt that you are one of the meta-UnSub's targets. I prefer to use your expertise in the latter in an effort to minimize threat levels."

Reid understood. It wasn't that different from the situations he encountered at the BAU. When Hotch wanted to divided manpower he was usually one of the members left to work at the station. It was strategic analysis. But even after so many years of apprehending UnSubs in the field and determining their whereabouts in police stations, he still felt slighted when he was told to stay behind.

"It is nothing personal, Dr. Reid," Rose said in a softer tone than what she had been using.

"I understand Guardian Rose," he said respectfully.

She seemed taken aback for a moment. "I'll drop by at lunch to see how things are progressing," she said and left the room.

One of the twins walked over and wrapped an arm around his shoulders after the door closed shut. "Don't worry old mate. We'll have a grand time down here now that the Crabby Tabby has left the premises."

"Can she even turn into a cat?" Reid asked as he carefully pulled away from the man's grip.

"We're not sure," the other twin said as he spun the map around with his wand. "But we're trying to establish it as her nick-name among her subordinates before we leave."

…

The Weiss twins were possibly the smartest wizards Reid had ever met. Laughter was their preferred means of reducing tension as did some intense spell work. They had created data maps for nearly every scenario he requested. He was positively shocked to learn they even a large amount of mortal data was in the system as well.

"It is not that hard actually," one of the twins said and pulled a brass candle-stick holder out of an evidence box to explain. "This is what some might call a 'family heirloom.' One of the basic rules is that natural metals absorb the magic of any magician, even the slightest touch. Since most metals are not charmed or engraved with additional spell work, the residual magic is useless and generally poses no threat to anyone. But," he said and held the object to eye level, "with the right level of focus and a touch of charm work, you can learn some valuable information such as what the victim was doing on that funny little TV-like machine." He pulled a scroll out of candle holder. "This is the information I learned," he said proudly.

But then reality kicked in. "Do you steal things out of Police evidence lockers?"

"More like borrow," the other twin said with a yawn. "We summon the particular item at night and it is returned within five minutes. And we have yet to encounter any trouble with those supposedly 'hi-tech surveillance cameras.'" He then walked over to where he organized all his medieval prose. "I noticed you have no references on the grail listed," he remarked.

Reid was still looking at a cluster of half-inheritors who visited the same gym. "The grail doesn't exist. The use of Grail was a plot device that attempted to conceal the fact that King Arthur and his knights used magic to defend their kingdom. The grail was the tenuous link to the historically documented crusades in the mortal community."

The other agent put the candle stick holder on his desk and was now juggling a pair of pens. "Hey Fritz you remember seeing that fantastic muggle show called Spamalot before we go caught? I had never seen the bunch of ladies pull up their skirts to reveal-"

"What does that have to do with anything?" Reid asked irritably as he was creating a new overlap zone.

Fritz continued to look at the legends. "What I believe my brother might be getting at is the idea that the Grail is an acronym or symbol for something."

"Like an order," Reid said distractedly. "The idea has been around for years. Protectors of the Grail. Keepers of the Grail. I believe the current organization is head-quartered in the Rosslyn Chapel."

"Did I just detect a note of sarcasm from the Good Doctor?" Fritz said in mock-disbelief.

"You're wasting my time," Reid angrily and turned to the main board. He began to summon information on recent reports of missing animals that might be familiars when Fritz grabbed his hand.

"Reid you are not thinking like a muggle agent," he said firmly. "Would you ever discount information because it doesn't fit your personal ideologies?"

"No," he said "but religion is completely unrelated to magic. It is an organization of beliefs that the clashes with concept-"

"Would you please cut him off bro?" Greg said from his desk. "Just spell it out for him already."

Fritz rolled eyes. "You know I get tired of being the brains of this operation," he said and gave his brother a look. "This Fisher King Lord is counting on you and Rose to ignore the religious elements. So add them in now. Because so far you have only made an excellent display of how our data room works when used by someone with superb intelligence," he said referring to the boards full of colored charts.

Reid took a step back and rubbed his eyes. Religion had an always been seen as an annoyance to the magic community. They didn't kill half as many magic practitioners recorded by mortal historians. It was a very fuzzy area Reid was quick to ignore when instructed to do so. But adding it would make perfect sense right now.

He stared the two agents playing a game of catch with a wand the turned into chicken during exchanges. "How did you figure that out?" he asked.

"You were the kind of kid who always followed the rules weren't you?" Fritz said and bounced the wand against a filing cabinet. "When you saw a locked closet or a 'do not enter sign' you did what was expected and moved on. While my brother and I would see a locked door and promptly to pick the lock to find out what was inside."

"Once it was closet full of Uncle Perry's old dirty magazines. Another time it was cousin Lil's hippogriff," Greg said.

"And another time it was the war room for the Mafloy military splinter cell," Fritz said with a note of triumph.

Reid took a deep breath and clapped his hands together. "Okay now help me connect the dots with the missing pieces," he said beckoned the twins forward.

…

Reid didn't think he had ever seen Rose look so dumb-founded. He and the twins had assembled a color-coded presentation of the targets, suspects, and co-conspirators that cover all four boards..

"Where do we begin Dr. Reid?" Rose asked looking dazed.

"The Grail," he said simply. "Every time the word is used it used to symbolize a forbidden power." He waved a board forward containing a list of targets. "All of these people belong to churches with Anglican symbols with medieval origins." He pulled up another board. "All of these people are regular visitors of a mystical spring that supposedly has healing properties."

"I'm not sure if I'm following," she said uneasily. "I thought the Grail didn't exist."

"It doesn't," he said. "So the meta-unsub knew we wouldn't look for any connection to The Grail. But when you profile the list of targets who might believe in the existence of a grail-like object, the list decreases dramatically. "He waved another board forward that only contained roughly thirty-five names with the variable of untraced names.

She still looked uncertain. "How sure are you about all this?"

The twins stepped forward. "May we demonstrate Dr. Reid?" they asked in mocking reverence.

Reid smiled. "By all means."

Rose moved closer to him. "Would you believe I fought to get those two?" she murmured.

"Yes," Reid replied, "because you are a very smart supervisor."

The watched as the different dots light up on the map. She stared it in disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me. The Celtic Triskelion?" she said almost angrily as the pattern of three curling half spirals that were not connected at a specific point. "I thought we were sticking to English witchcraft."

"It is only a symbol," Reid said "and the meta-UnSub is too smart to have his next attack in the middle area." He pointed to the three branches. "He'll strike one of those."

"And I don't have enough man power to cover all of those," she said irritably.

Fritz raised his hand slightly. "Then might I suggest going through what the branches might signify such as earth, wind and fire."

Rose tapped the map. "So we look for areas some sort of reference to the earth. Or the elements fire, earth, and water." She looked at them map and saw the branch arched towards the Lake Mead. "That has 'trap' spelled all over it," she said flatly.

"Sometimes the obvious answer is the actual answer," Reid remarked and pointed to a location in the center of the curl. "I'd suggest hitting that section in full force prepared for every trap imaginable. He might think you are foolish for attacking the obvious choice, but by leading your team into that threat zone, it shows that you do not fear the element associated with his name."

"Or it could be a red herring and he is actually killing in the fire branch while my agents are across town," she countered.

He shook his head. "I can't give you anything better."

Rose sighed and reached beneath her glasses to rub her eyes. "This discussion needs to be suspended for no less than an hour for the purpose procuring sustenance," she said.

"So in other words we get to eat finally," Fritz said.

Rose began to walk to the door. "You two have special teleportation orders to allow you to eat at the Houdini Lounge," she said and clicked her fingers. A pair of scrolls appeared in their hands.

Both of them looked thrilled. "So is that our reward of for taking good care your FBI friend?" Greg asked.

"It is actually a reward for me from your ministry supervisors. They are impressed by the fact that I have been keeping you from making the government news bulletins for the past five weeks," she said and beckoned Reid to follow her.

It felt good to just be out of that room. He looked around at the hum of the office activity and it was a welcome sight after staring at nothing but maps.

"So how do you feel about hitting Caesar's Palace to find something to eat?" she asked casually.

Reid was taken about by her change in tone. "I thought you wanted to 'minimize threat levels?"

"And I thought about how a person who has been working day and night in the magic world for the first time in years might feel suffocating. The Palace is so clogged with tourists and electrical devices that it would be foolish to attack you there. And attacking a mall in the afternoon doesn't seem like it would fit the image he or she is projecting."

Reid had to laugh a little. She never stopped think of all the worst-case scenarios. "That sounds good Rose," he said with a smile.

She smiled in return. "I suggest we-"suddenly ringing was heard. Rose looked at her glowing charm bracelet. "That's the Oracle. I promised them a quote a few hours ago after canceling the last press. It will only take a minute," she said and began to rush to her office. "I'll meet you at the elevator," she shouted.

Reid smiled he walked across the room. As he entered the hallway he heard booming voice:

"_Is she not a fair raven-haired beauty? _

Reid stared around wildly. He felt a sickening sensation is his stomach as he heard the voice again, now realizing that he was hearing in his head:

"_And sometimes thro' the mirror blue__...__  
__The knights come riding two and two:__  
__She hath no loyal knight and true,__  
__ The Lady of Shalott."_

The voice stopped and then he heard the explosion. Reid ran into the office.

"Clara!"


End file.
